Fans guide: How to watch Boise State-Utah State in person and on TV
WHERE TO FIND THE TV BROADCAST
Boise State and Utah State meet at 8:15 p.m. Saturday at Albertsons Stadium in a game that will decide which team represents the Mountain Division in the Mountain West championship game. The Mountain Division champion will host Fresno State on Dec. 1 based on conference records.
Utah State has won 10 straight games. Boise State has won six straight.
The game will air on ESPN. That’s channel 206 on DirecTV, channel 133/1133 on Cable One and channel 140 on Dish Network.
THIS WEEK’S COVERAGE
Boise State seniors: a legacy yet unwritten
Who gets the edge and players to watch
Injury-ravaged defense stands its ground
Boise State’s special teams a consistent frustration
Three keys for the Broncos — and three predictions for the game score
Former Boise State QB recruit plays WR for Utah State
A key senior is expected to return for Boise State next year
Utah State’s takeaway D vs. Boise State’s stingy O
Boise State eager for high-stakes showdown
No. 14 Utah State at No. 21 Boise State
When: 8:15 p.m. Saturday
Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387; FieldTurf)
TV: ESPN (Roy Philpott, Tom Ramsey, Edward Aschoff)
Radio: KBOI 670 AM/KTIK 93.1 FM (Bob Behler, Pete Cavender)
Records: BSU 9-2, 6-1 (won 45-14 at New Mexico on Friday); Utah State 10-1, 7-0 (won 29-24 at Colorado State on Saturday)
Series: Boise State leads 17-5 (Broncos won 41-14 on Oct. 28, 2017 in Logan)
Vegas line: Boise State by 2 1/2
Weather: Low 30s, mostly clear
Tickets: Office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737. Boise State reported 33,892 tickets were out as of Wednesday.
TICKETS
Single-game tickets are $65 to $89 in the main stadium, $45 to $69 in some curves and the south end zone, $33 to $54 in sections 101-102 and 129-130 and $19 to $35 in the north end zone (general admission) depending on the game. Junior and senior discounts are available in all but the north end zone.
To purchase tickets, stop by the ticket office on the west side of Albertsons Stadium, visit BroncoSports.com/tickets or call 208-426-4737.
Gates open: Stadium gates open 90 minutes before kickoff this year, a change from last year. The Stueckle Sky Center opens three hours before kickoff.
HOME GAME COLOR SCHEMES
▪ Nov. 24, vs. Utah State: Any color
For a complete breakdown of the color schemes, click here.
BRONCO WALK
The team will walk from the Student Union Building through campus to the Bleymaier Football Center north of Albertsons Stadium approximately 2 1/2 hours before kickoff of home games, letting fans get an up-close look at the team.
PARKING
▪ Stadium lots open eight hours before kickoff for Saturday home games and four hours before weekday games. Single-game parking on campus is $10 for non-BAA members at the Plaza East and West lots, Lincoln Garage and Brady Street Garage. Call the BAA at (208) 426-3556 for more info.
▪ Free parking is available on Boise State game days at Julia Davis Park. Overnight parking is prohibited. More info: (208) 608-7600 or cityofboise.org/parks.
▪ Manitou and Grant will be closed between University and Belmont. There’s a taxi pickup and waiting zone along Euclid between University and Beacon and an Uber/Lyft pickup zone in the same two blocks. Uber/Lyft drivers can use this area only when they have an active call.
▪ A bike barn on the corner of Cesar Chavez and Broadway is available for fans. The area opens 2.5 hours before kickoff. Cyclists need to bring their own locks.
▪ A free, wheelchair-accessible shuttle will be available from Lincoln Garage four hours prior to kickoff and Brady Street Garage two hours prior to kickoff. The shuttle runs for one hour after the game ends.
ALCOHOL
The 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. designated tailgate zone continues this season. Fans 21 and older are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages in opaque plastic cups in designated areas.
PROHIBITED ITEMS INSIDE THE STADIUM
Weapons (including pepper spray), alcohol, artificial noisemakers, outside food/drink, glass bottles/containers, plastic bottles/containers, cans, large bags/backpacks, hard-sided or wheeled bags, umbrellas, coolers, baskets, long-lens cameras, tripods, tape recorders, video recorders, electronic transmitting devices, laser pointers, fireworks, controlled substances, chairs over 18 inches wide or with arms, drones, iPads, tablets and laptops.
FREE DOWNTOWN SHUTTLE
Game-day shuttles will run to and from Downtown for each home game this season. Before the game, downtown pickups occur every 15 minutes for two hours prior to game time at:
▪ 6th & Grove
▪ 8th & Main
▪ 8th & Broad
▪ 8th between Idaho & Bannock
▪ River & 12th (at Payette Brewing)
Fans are dropped off on the east side of Albertsons Stadium just off Broadway Avenue. After the game, fans are picked up again on the east side of the stadium and taken back Downtown. The shuttle runs for one hour after the game is over.
WHAT’S NEW THIS YEAR?
Note: The Ford Tailgate Zone will be set up on the Hall of Fame Plaza for the Utah State game because of weather concerns.
If you’ve always wanted to participate in the tailgate experience outside Albertsons Stadium but don’t know anyone with a parking spot, you’ve now got a place to hang out.
If you don’t know if you want to buy game tickets but you’d like to soak up the game-day atmosphere, you’re invited, too. You can even watch the game on the big-screen TV.
And the cost of this new experience outside the stadium? Free, unless you want to rent a tent with couches, TVs and other amenities. The new tailgate area is The Ford Tailgate Zone at DeChevrieux Field, the Broncos’ grass practice field just west of the stadium.
“Ultimately our goal is to bring as many people in here as possible,” said Brad Larrondo, senior associate athletic director. “We feel like we can create a different area that we’ve never had before.”
The tailgating experience will be produced by blockparty, a national company that specializes in these setups. The area will have a climbing wall, inflatable play structures and games like football tosses. There will be open grass for playing and some seats for lounging. Other Boise State teams might come down to visit with the fans, perhaps participating in a skill like free-throw shooting with kids. You can bring your own food and beverages, and food trucks will be on hand, too. Boise State can’t sell alcohol in the area.
The Bronco Walk — the players’ pregame march to the stadium — will go through the tailgating area.
“We want to make it family-friendly down here,” Larrondo said.
If you want a more upscale experience, blockparty sells private tent packages that range from $400 to $2,000 per game based on the number of guests and the amenities requested. The costs break down to about $40-$50 per person.
The grass field is considered an extension of the parking lot, so the same rules apply for alcohol consumption. Fans 21 and older are allowed to consume alcoholic beverages in opaque plastic cups from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. DeChevrieux Field will be open to the public three hours before kickoff (four hours for those renting spaces) and one hour after the game ends.
The expectation is that 3,000 to 5,000 people will use the new tailgating area on game days, Larrondo said. It can move into the Caven-Williams Sports Complex if the weather is poor.
“We hope that people who don’t have a place to go come here and enjoy it,” Larrondo said.
RADIO
The Bronco Radio Network will broadcast on 10 stations in Idaho, Oregon and Nevada, with 670 KBOI AM the flagship. On the FM dial, it will broadcast in Boise on 93.1 KTIK FM.
Bob Behler will handle play-by-play duties for a 11th season, with former offensive lineman Pete Cavender providing color for a 10th season. The pregame show begins five hours before each game, and a call-in show will be hosted afterward.
Behler also hosts “Coach Harsin Weekly” with Boise State coach Bryan Harsin on KBOI and KTIK at 7 p.m. Thursdays.
This story was originally published November 21, 2018 at 5:18 PM.